“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

When it comes to flowers, who doesn’t love a rose? It’s a symbol of perfection, love and beauty. And when it comes to orders of flowers online, it’s by far the most popular choice.

1. According to Greek mythology the rose was created by Chloris, the Greek goddess of flowers. She found the lifeless body of a nymph which she turned into a flower. Enlisting the help of the other gods, Aphrodite gave the flower beauty, Dionysus added the sweet scent and Apollo the sun god made the flower bloom. And the rose was born. The name is derived fom the Greek “rhodon.”

2. The oldest living rose bush is more than 1000 years old. It grows against a cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany and it’s been there since 815 AD. The bush caught fire during World War II when an Allied bomb dropped nearby but the root system was undamaged and the bush still flourishes today!

3. Red and crimson-coloured roses first came from China and some regard ‘Slater’s Crimson China,’ as the original primary red rose. It was introduced in Europe in 1792 from China, where it had been growing wild in the mountains.

4. The world’s largest rosebush can be found in Tombstone Arizona. It is almost two hundred years old and its trunk is nearly six feet in diameter and it forms a canopy large enough to shelter a crowd of 150 people.

5. Cleopatra loved roses. It is said that the floors of her palace were often carpeted with rose petals. She even had rose petals on her bed. Roses were already seen as symbols of love in these early times. Rose wreaths were often hung by lovers on the doors of their beloved.

6. The wise and knowing Confucius had a library of 600 books about how to care for roses. Ask your local UK florist how many books they have!

7. Pure rose oil is one of the most expensive and precious essential oils on the earth. It takes 5,000 pounds of fresh rose petals to make just one pound of rose oil.

8. Napoleon gave his officers bags of rose petals to boil in white wine to cure lead poisoning from bullet wounds.

9. There is a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly in the harems of the Middle East. Do you know the secret meaning of your flower delivery?

10. A red rose bud stands for budding desire while an open red rose professes a love and passion already acknowledged. Yellow roses can be dubious. A bouquet of yellow roses sent after a first meeting could mean that the giver isn’t looking for a lasting attachment.

So next time you send flowers, not only are you sending the perfect gift, you are participating in an old and enduring custom.